Jenna Elfman

Perez Hilton's quote of the day on Sunday comes from that once-upon-a-time TV actress Jenna Elfman -- remember "Dharma and Greg"? Elfman talked with reporters in Sydney last week about Scientology: "It's a new religion. Historically every new religion has been [dismissed]. People were hanged, fed to the lions for their beliefs, so this is just a modern-day evolution of what happens when something new comes into our culture. It is not fully understood yet. I've seen drug addicts completely...

Perez Hilton's quote of the day on Sunday comes from that once-upon-a-time TV actress Jenna Elfman -- remember "Dharma and Greg"? Elfman talked with reporters in Sydney last week about Scientology: "It's a new religion. Historically every new religion has been [dismissed]. People were hanged, fed to the lions for their beliefs, so this is just a modern-day evolution of what happens when something new comes into our culture. It is not fully understood yet. I've seen drug addicts completely...

CBS has abandoned its plans for a midseason comedy starring Jenna Elfman before a pilot was even filmed. The show, which was in development at Warner Bros. TV, would have reunited Elfman with writer-producer Chuck Lorre. The two worked together on "Dharma & Greg" for five seasons, and Elfman guest starred in Lorre's current show, CBS' "Two and a Half Men," earlier this year. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that a creative disagreement between Elfman and Lorre derailed the project.

"Dharma and Greg" star Jenna Elfman has come to Tom Cruise's defense amid tabloid rumors that his marriage to Katie Holmes has turned sour. "Honestly, they're happy," Elfman, Cruise's friend and fellow Scientologist told People magazine late last week. "They have a great life, and they love each other. For some reason, the media cannot experience that." The cover of the latest Us Weekly shows Cruise driving Holmes in a car with the headline "No way out." Said Elfman, "[The rumors are]

Undeniably pretty but not your classic, knockout beauty, Jenna Elfman is nonetheless a commanding presence. Indeed, she could well be the breakout TV star of the fall season. Elfman is irresistible as Dharma, the free-spirited female half of "Dharma & Greg," ABC's new Wednesday night romantic comedy. At a press conference with TV critics, Elfman's enthusiasm seemed genuine and infectious, allowing her to effectively take control of the session despite the presence of former "Chicago Hope"...

- Chicago architect Helmut Jahn and son Evan skippered their Farr 40-class sailboat Flash Gordon 5 to 2nd place at Key West Race Week. The class winner was Ernesto Bertarelli aboard Alinghi, which is also the name of his bigger boat--the one that's the current defender of the America's Cup. - The Lyric Opera of Chicago on Wednesday will officially name its box office after former press agent Danny Newman. Newman, who will be honored on his 88th birthday, began working for Lyric in 1954.

Only now do we see what a charmed life Jenna Elfman leads. Yes, she parlayed her lone-bright-spot role in the deceased "Townies" into the ABC freshman hit "Dharma and Greg" (7:30 p.m. Wednesday, WLS-Ch. 7). Yes, her wholesome sexiness has made her a frequent favorite of magazine covers. And now, she's about to pull off the ultimate bit in "I'm still here" success: Surviving "Krippendorf's Tribe" without a scratch. You won't appreciate the feat if you haven't seen the movie, an odorous comic...

How do you follow an act like Dharma? Jenna Elfman faced that dilemma upon signing for a CBS sitcom after her run as the offbeat female half of "Dharma & Greg." In fact, she passed on the original concept for her follow-up show, opting to hold out for something more to her liking. The result casts her as a work-devoted attorney who stumbles into love in "Courting Alex," premiering Monday. Employed by her father's (Dabney Coleman) New York law firm, Elfman's character, Alex Rose, gets a chance for romance...

How do you follow an act like Dharma? Jenna Elfman faced that dilemma upon signing for a CBS sitcom after her run as the offbeat female half of "Dharma & Greg." In fact, she passed on the original concept for her follow-up show, opting to hold out for something more to her liking. The result casts her as a work-devoted attorney who stumbles into love in "Courting Alex," premiering Monday. Employed by her father's (Dabney Coleman) New York law firm, Elfman's character, Alex Rose, gets a chance for romance...

Jenna Elfman, whom CBS courted to star in a comedy for this midseason, has signed on to a pilot the network has in mind for next year. The "Dharma & Greg" star has taken the lead role in "Everything I Know About Men," the Hollywood trade papers report. She'll play a single woman who tries to understand the men in her life, including her sometimes boyfriend, her boss and her dad. The show is based on a British series called "According to Bex." Its creator, Fred Barron ("Caroline in the City,"...

CBS has abandoned its plans for a midseason comedy starring Jenna Elfman before a pilot was even filmed. The show, which was in development at Warner Bros. TV, would have reunited Elfman with writer-producer Chuck Lorre. The two worked together on "Dharma & Greg" for five seasons, and Elfman guest starred in Lorre's current show, CBS' "Two and a Half Men," earlier this year. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that a creative disagreement between Elfman and Lorre derailed the project.

"Dharma and Greg" star Jenna Elfman has come to Tom Cruise's defense amid tabloid rumors that his marriage to Katie Holmes has turned sour. "Honestly, they're happy," Elfman, Cruise's friend and fellow Scientologist told People magazine late last week. "They have a great life, and they love each other. For some reason, the media cannot experience that." The cover of the latest Us Weekly shows Cruise driving Holmes in a car with the headline "No way out." Said Elfman, "[The rumors are]

Jenna Elfman probably is best known for playing the wacky Dharma on the TV show "Dharma and Greg." She also starred with Brendan Fraser in the movie "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," which is out on DVD March 2. Elfman, 32, began her career as a dancer (she's a classically trained ballerina), then started doing commercials. She lives in California. We spoke with her recently in New York. Did you always want to be an actress? I always knew I was going to end up entertaining people.

"Dharma & Greg": This ABC sitcom (7 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7) has shown flashes of brilliance. Its first episode this season, about the young San Francisco married couple wanting to adopt their supermarket cashier's baby, was near-perfect television comedy. The flights of fancy the writers send Dharma (Jenna Elfman) and best friend Jane (Shae D'lyn) on tend to work in ways that such journeys rarely do. Other supporting characters click too: Their friend Pete (Joel Murray) is an...

- Chicago architect Helmut Jahn and son Evan skippered their Farr 40-class sailboat Flash Gordon 5 to 2nd place at Key West Race Week. The class winner was Ernesto Bertarelli aboard Alinghi, which is also the name of his bigger boat--the one that's the current defender of the America's Cup. - The Lyric Opera of Chicago on Wednesday will officially name its box office after former press agent Danny Newman. Newman, who will be honored on his 88th birthday, began working for Lyric in 1954.

Maybe you thought Jenna Elfman was just that goofy sitcom sprite you see every week on "Dharma & Greg." Guess again, says Miguel Ferrer, who has seen a whole other side of the acting Elfman in "Visions and Lovers: Variations on a Theme," a stage play the two are doing in Los Angeles. "I love it when the blue-haired ladies come to this play and think they're going to see Dharma," says Ferrer. "She has such power and depth and confidence. She is fearless." Of course,...

Jenna Elfman, whom CBS courted to star in a comedy for this midseason, has signed on to a pilot the network has in mind for next year. The "Dharma & Greg" star has taken the lead role in "Everything I Know About Men," the Hollywood trade papers report. She'll play a single woman who tries to understand the men in her life, including her sometimes boyfriend, her boss and her dad. The show is based on a British series called "According to Bex." Its creator, Fred Barron ("Caroline in the City,"...

"Dharma & Greg": This ABC sitcom (7 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7) has shown flashes of brilliance. Its first episode this season, about the young San Francisco married couple wanting to adopt their supermarket cashier's baby, was near-perfect television comedy. The flights of fancy the writers send Dharma (Jenna Elfman) and best friend Jane (Shae D'lyn) on tend to work in ways that such journeys rarely do. Other supporting characters click too: Their friend Pete (Joel Murray) is an...